JOHANNESBURG, ZIMBABWE'S service chiefs, likely to face charges of crimes against humanity should opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai assume power, are believed to be seeking to block possible prosecution by engaging South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is also the South African Development Community appointed mediator in the country's on-off talks.
Heads of the Zimbabwe National Army, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and the Central Intelligence Organisation, reportedly met Mbeki in Pretoria last weekend, in a bid to convince him to persuade Tsvangirai, president of the main Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation, not to prosecute them if the talks result in him taking over power from President Robert Mugabe.

Fears of prosecution over crimes against humanity emanating from state-sponsored political violence that left more than 3 000 MDC activists killed between 2000 and 2008, is threatening the collapse of ZANU-PF's supreme decision making body, the politburo.

War veterans are reported to be panicking as well in their role in violence, while the military rulers, who before the March elections vowed never to salute Tsvangirai, are now likely to be forced to swallow their words.

Mbeki's spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, dismissed the claim saying those allegations were baseless.

But impeccable source insists the army general came to Pretoria over the weekend to seek assurance from preisdent Mbeki that they would not be prosecuted in the event Tsvangirai takes over.

"I know nothing about that chapter of fiction. As far as we are concerned, the Zimbabwe powersharing talks are continuing this weekend.

"You know quite well that we will never ever announce the contains of the talks through the press before making a feedback to the Zimbabwean community, Southern African Development Community and the African Union," Ratshitanga told CAJ News.

But sources close to the talks confirmed that the military rulers comprising Zimbabwe Defence Forces Lieutenant General Constantine Chiwenga, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri and CIO Director-General Happyton Bonyongwe were fully-represented at a private meeting in Pretoria.

MDC spokesperson, Nelson Chamisa, admitted that the past might be catching up with the individuals who sponsored or took part in the political violence.

"I'm not aware of the military rulers' trip to SA, but of-course, those behind the state sponsored violence have reasons to panic," said Chamisa.

Behind the scenes, ZANU-PF'S politburo, including Mugabe, are reportedly distancing themselves from the violence that claimed about 120 lives mostly of opposition members between the March elections and June's one-man presidential run-off poll, laying the blame on military rulers, among them the police and CIO bosses.

It is believed Mugabe might escape prosecution on crime against humanity due to old age, while the military chiefs fear they could be brought before the International Court of Justice to answer to similar charges.

It is alleged that Mbeki promised to seek refugee for them in South Africa. However, the military rulers are said to have expressed fears that when the National Congress of South Africa president Jacob Zuma takes over from Mbeki next year, he could hand them over to Tsvangirai to face prosecution.

No immediate comment could be obtained from Zimbabwe's services chiefs.- CAJ News.